I just want comfy jeans.
Reading, hiking, watching movie trailers, and deconstructing marketing campaigns: these are just a few of my favorite hobbies. I’m not sure whether to blame this last hobby on my years as a student and instructor of analysis or on my general skepticism that pushes me to poke at arguments until they fall apart. Growing up my mom’s favorite word for me was “contrary.”
When watching a commercial or hearing a slogan, I like to snip at its seams until I spot some of the assumptions undercutting the campaign’s message. An assumption is something that is accepted without substantial evidence; we naturally make assumptions about people, ideas, events, or things. If a candidate applies for a job without a cover letter, I might make the assumptions that the candidate did not read the job ad requesting a cover letter, does not want the job badly enough to write the cover letter, or is not a detail-oriented person. Assumptions are often inaccurate and unfair, but we make them all the time.
In marketing and fundraising campaigns, assumptions about the target audience’s wants, needs, and values are often a driving force. If the underlying assumptions are flawed or miss their mark, then the message of the campaign could unravel with the tiniest of tugs.
Sample Analysis
Let’s take the advertising campaign of “boyfriend jeans” as a case study. Many different clothing companies have dubbed baggy, comfy jeans the “boyfriend” style. Some underlying assumptions regarding this term could be…
Men, specifically those in a heterosexual relationships, possess comfortable pants.
Women find comfort in wearing their boyfriends’ clothes.
These pants are for women who don’t have the option of stealing their boyfriends’ clothes whether due to being single or to having a boyfriend who won’t share.
Once engaged or married, women no longer borrow their partners’ jeans.
Women shouldn’t wear baggy jeans unless under the façade of wearing something designed for a man.
Within my assumptions, of course, are even more assumptions that could be deconstructed, such as how we define “feminine” or why “feminine” and “comfortable” are often seen as opposing forces.
I doubt the original “boyfriend jean” marketing team intended the term to be broken down in these ways, but that’s the thing about words: they’re open to interpretation. People bring their own values, assumptions, and biases to how they give meaning to language.
Avoiding Assumptions
Assumptions are reductive, often unintentionally, and give way to stereotyping, restrictive labeling, and spreading misinformation. The best way to combat harmful underlying assumptions is to make evidence-based rhetorical choices.
Get to know your market. Consider your target audience’s range of core values. Don’t make the mistake of thinking everyone will agree on a definition or value. It’s important to take the time to know your audience and to understand the possible interpretations of your words.
Though I would never wish my overly analytical tendencies on anyone else, I hope my observations can help others make informed rhetorical decisions rather than basing campaigns or communications on flawed assumptions.